Thanks to the quick response from Abilene City staff and commissioners, Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Department of Commerce announced Abilene as the recipient of $132,000 in Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Response Supplement (CDBG-CV) funds to assist small businesses.
“The goal of our grant is to assist small and owner operated businesses with preference to those who cannot or have not accessed other sources of assistance, “said Jane Foltz, Abilene City Manager. “While some businesses are fortunate to benefit from other loan programs, many small and owner-operated businesses – particularly in our historic downtown district – have not.”
Abilene is one of only 66 communities to receive the award of nearly $9 million in funding. City staff will now work with state staff to determine reporting criteria and create the application and review process. Businesses will then have the opportunity to apply for grants.
“The Kansas Department of Commerce acted very quickly to get these funds to communities in need, our job is also to move quickly by developing an application and process to assist Abilene’s small businesses,” said Julie Roller Weeks, Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau director. “We are really excited to have this opportunity!”
To date, the Department of Commerce has received 106 award applications totaling more than $32 million. Applications were processed on a first-come, first-served basis. To view the full list of recipients, visit: https://governor.kansas.gov/66-kansas-cities-and-counties-to-receive-community-development-block-grants-to-support-coronavirus-response/.
